f.m. ~camren

chapter 6

When Lauren's eyes open a couple hours later she is confused about the weight against her body until they adjust to the dark and take in her surroundings. She remembers that she is at Camila's apartment and nudges her sleeping figure gently so she can move. Camila groans at having her sleep disturbed and reaches out her arm to swat away at the air beside Lauren unconsciously. Lauren grins at the action, blushing when her thoughts call attention to how cute Camila looks in that moment. Once she snaps out of it, and after a gentle shake, Camila becomes alert. She stretches her arms and opens her eyes as she lets out a yawn.

"So much for not sleeping together," Lauren muses.

Camila shoves Lauren playfully, although with much less force than anticipated as she is still groggy.

"What time is it? Want to go to my room?" Camila asks upon collecting her thoughts.

Lauren reaches for her phone on the coffee table, clicking the home button so the screen will light up and display the time.

"2:45...have you really given up on your reservations about inviting me into bed with you or is this just the sleep talking?"

"Just shut up and follow me," Camila commands, tugging on the sleeve to her own shirt, which Lauren is wearing, and getting up from the couch.

"After you,bossypants," Lauren replies, following Camila down her hallway with the promise of a few more hours of quality sleep.

At a quarter 'til 9 Lauren returns to her apartment after dropping Camila off at work. Normani looks up from her cereal and grins like a child on Christmas morning when Lauren enters their front door.

"Should I call up U-Haul for you," Normani teases before taking another bite of her cereal and reaching toward her phone for effect.

Lauren picks up a banana from the fruit bowl on their counter and begins to unpeel it before responding.

"I take offense to your stereotypes, Mani. Just because I spent one night at my girlfriend's place doesn't mean I'm ready to move in with her."

Normani looks Lauren up and down, taking note of her unrecognizable attire.

"A, you're already wearing her clothes and B, you're official now?"

Lauren nods and takes a couple bites of her fruit for breakfast before walking over into the kitchen to pour herself some milk.

"How did it happen?" Normani asks after Lauren has closed the fridge and is facing her again.

"How did what happen?"

"Staying at Camila's? Putting a label on it? Borrowing her clothes?"

Lauren shrugs before leaning against the counter and sipping from her glass of milk.

"Her car wouldn't start after work. Dinah had a later shift and couldn't pick her up, so I offered. I stayed at her place last night to save the extra trip dropping her off this morning."

Normani fakes a yawn.

"Boooorrrinnnnggg. This story needs more action," she critiques.

"I agreed to be Camila's girlfriend because I know I'm not interested in seeing anyone else right now and I really like her so far, but that doesn't change the fact that neither one of us was looking for a relationship when we met. I don't want to rush anything."

Normani reaches out to touch Lauren's forehead as if checking for a fever.

"You look and feel like Lauren Jauregui, but I'm not sure you sound like her anymore."

Lauren grabs Normani's wrist and pushes her roommate's hand away from her face.

"Things have been different since Ally, you know that," Lauren reminds her in a soft tone, indicating her ex-girlfriend is still a touchy subject.

"Yeah, I know," Normani confirms, offering a sympathetic look before getting up to put her empty cereal bowl away and get ready for work. Lauren follows suit and the conversation ends as they prepare to go their separate ways for the day.

Dinah calls Camila at work during the late afternoon. Her boss left early for her weekend travels and there's a stack of paperwork almost as tall as her head to get through before 5 o' clock.

"Somebody better be dead. I told you to use this number for emergencies only," Camila scolds immediately upon hearing her best friend on the line.

"This is an emergency. I got the lead on an underground shindig tonight! Can we get ready at your place after I pick you up from work? I'm about to text Mani the deets."

"I am not going to a rave, Dinah. Remember what happened the last time I tried dancing in public? Never again," Camila declares, trying to block out the memory.

"Don't front like you ain't wantin' to show off your woman," Dinah accuses.

"Lauren isn't my woman. She's a person, not property," Camila insists, subconsciously biting on the tips of her fingernails as the conversation goes on and the paperwork beside her appears more abundant every time she peeks over at it.

"A lil birdie told me she's your girlfriend now. You don't have to tone it down for me."

"I can't talk about this right now, Dinah. I'm nearing meltdown mode with Stella out on the road again."

"All the more reason to let it loose tonight!" Dinah counters.

"I'm hanging up now. See you after five," Camila says with finality before hanging up the phone and resuming the task at hand.

Dinah, never famous for being on time, still hasn't shown up at 5:15 when Camila exits the studio. She checks her phone and sees that she has a few messages. Only one of them is from Dinah who is apologizing for running late. There are two from Lauren and another one is from a number no longer listed in her contacts, but that she knows from memory belongs to Ariana. She ignores the one from her ex, deletes the one from Dinah, and opens the texts from Lauren.

Normani has this crazy idea that you wanna take me clubbing tonight. I told her that doesn't sound like you at all but maybe I'm wrong? (5:01 PM)

Normani just confirmed with Dinah that you're definitely going. Would you hate me if I bailed? I don't mind spending time with you, but I'm not really up for the crowd tonight. (5:09 PM)

Camila lets out a sigh and types a reply.

I don't want to go either. It's all Dinah's idea. I've had one hell of a day. The only thing I want is a glass of a wine and a good book...none of that loud, poorly DJ'd music and strangers' sweat dripping on me. (5:19 PM)

Camila is still anxiously waiting for Lauren's reply when Dinah's car pulls up. She gets in the car and lets Dinah talk her ear off about the rave on the way to her apartment, failing to mention that she has no intention of joining the evening's festivities. They are about to park when her phone buzzes and she reads Lauren's reply.

Didn't you say you're not much of a drinker? I hope the thought of being my girlfriend hasn't tipped you over the edge. ;) (5:35 PM)

Camila quickly types her response.

There's a different edge you should plan on tipping me over if you want to keep me around. (5:36 PM)